Tia Mowry Is Totally Embracing How Her Body Has Changed Now That She’s A Mom

There's a notion that women (especially celebrities) are supposed to fit into a certain mold after giving birth, but Tia Mowry-Hardrict is busting that myth. Recently, we had a chance to sit down with her thanks to Carefree's Speak Freely campaign, and no topic was off limits. During our chat, she talked about her own experiences being pregnant and giving birth.

There are so many unrealistic pressures to look a certain way after giving birth. Even Mowry-Hardrict has been bullied by internet trolls for not meeting certain expectations, but she wants more people to understand that perfect does not exist. "There is this blurred line that we don’t see, and when you don’t know that whole story you are left feeling insecure about your body," Mowry-Hardrict tells SELF.

But Mowry-Hardrict has embraced the changes that her figure has undergone since giving birth to her 5-year-old son Cree Taylor Hardrict. "I breastfed my son, and my boobs aren’t as perky as what they used to be," the proud mother explains. "I have a little pooch after having my son, and I don’t mind discussing that." What frustrates Mowry-Hardrict are the negative comments from haters. “People ask, ‘Oh, are you pregnant?’ It’s like, ‘No honey, I had a child,” she confidently explains. "This is what it looks like after you have a baby. This is who I am, and I love it."

She's enjoying every single part of motherhood, and she also gave her changing body a nickname. "I call my pooch Cree," says Mowry-Hardrict with a huge smile on her face. "I have a caesarean scar, and I love that scar. It reminds me of the moment where I gave birth to a human being."

"I’m not as thin as I used to be, but that’s OK," says Mowry-Hardrict. "I’m who I am, and I just want to encourage moms to embrace those changes. Those changes didn’t happen in vain." And she also wants women who don't have any children to know that seeing your body transform is completely normal as well. "We all go through cycles," says Mowry-Hardrict. "That’s life. We don’t have to be perfect, so embrace your imperfections."